VodafoneThree Gets Green Light for Satellite Smartphone Connectivity
Ofcom approved VodafoneThree's request to provide satellite direct‑to‑device connectivity in the UK, using its 900 MHz spectrum. The licence variation follows O2's earlier satellite launch and includes regulatory updates to exempt the band for D2D use. VodafoneThree plans summer 2026 trials with AST SpaceMobile's Bluebird low‑Earth‑orbit satellites, delivering data, voice and SMS on standard handsets. The joint venture has rebranded as Satellite Connect Europe.
Openreach Take on North Shropshire and West Herefordshire Project Gigabit Contracts
Building Digital UK (BDUK) announced that Openreach will step in as the replacement provider for two Project Gigabit contracts after the original network builders withdrew. In North Shropshire, Openreach inherits a £24 million (≈$30.7 million) contract to connect 8,500 premises, while in...
EXCLUSIVE April 2026 Update on Openreach Full-Fibre Roll-Out
Openreach reported a record‑breaking rollout in April 2026, adding 608,354 new FTTP premises and averaging 19,634 connections per day. The cumulative footprint reached 22,360,468 premises as of 12 April, positioning the network to achieve roughly 25 million ready‑for‑service locations by October‑November 2026....
Ofcom Launches Consultation on 6GHz Spectrum Sharing
Ofcom has opened a consultation to expand mobile use of the upper 6 GHz band in 88 high‑density areas while preserving Wi‑Fi priority in the lower 160 MHz. The proposal splits the spectrum, giving Wi‑Fi priority from 6425‑6585 MHz and mobile priority from...
Telecoms Consumer Charter — Sky Broadband Change Calls Into Question What Exactly Is the Point?
Sky Broadband has replaced its explicit £3‑per‑month price rise (about $3.80) with a vague "price may change" clause, testing the limits of the government‑backed Telecoms Consumer Charter. The voluntary charter, signed by major operators, promises consumers certainty and bans unexpected...
Weekly Brief – 10/04/2025
Openreach has rolled out half a million Zyxel‑manufactured optical network terminals (ONTs) built from 95% recycled plastic and shipped in zero‑plastic packaging, marking a major step toward greener broadband infrastructure. In the UK, BT continues to address a fault on...
North Lanarkshire Council Seeking Provider for Full-Fibre Rollout to Social Housing
North Lanarkshire Council has launched an expression of interest for a broadband partner to deliver a full‑fibre rollout across its social‑housing portfolio. The programme, valued at £40 million (approximately $51 million), aims to provide 1 Gbps‑capable service to roughly 36,000 properties. The council...
Gigaclear Lenders Take Control of Indebted Altnet
Gigaclear, the UK’s largest rural fibre altnet serving about 160,000 customers across 26 counties, has been taken over by its lenders after its debt neared £1 billion (≈$1.25 billion). The National Wealth Fund now holds the biggest share, alongside NatWest and Lloyds,...
Community Fibre — Double the Speed Promotion Returns
Community Fibre has relaunched its Double the Speed promotion, doubling advertised download rates for its standard broadband packages while keeping monthly fees fixed through April 2026. Customers can lock in 200 Mbps for £19/month (~$24), 600 Mbps for £21/month (~$26), up to 2 Gbps...
Automatic Compensation Payments for Telecoms Faults Rise with Inflation
Effective 1 April 2026, the Ofcom‑backed automatic compensation scheme for major UK telecoms raised its payouts to reflect inflation. Customers now receive £10.34 (≈$13) per day after two days of reported service loss, £32.31 (≈$41) for missed appointments, and £6.46 (≈$8) for...
Openreach Has Installed 500,000 Zyxel ONT to Reduce Plastic Waste
Openreach has installed more than 500,000 Zyxel optical network terminals (ONTs) across the United Kingdom, each built with 95% recycled polycarbonate plastic. The devices support the GPON rollout, delivering up to 1.8 Gbps per connection while reducing the amount of virgin...
Train Wi-Fi Is Just Awful — Our Journey From Cardiff to London
A recent test of Great Western Railway’s onboard Wi‑Fi on the Cardiff‑London route revealed severe performance issues. Latency jitter regularly spiked above 400 ms, with occasional spikes nearing 800 ms, and packet loss disrupted connections. Average throughput hovered around 1 Mbps, roughly 1 %...
EXCLUSIVE: March 2026 Update on Broadband Availability Across the UK, Nations and Regions
The latest UK broadband data shows gigabit availability climbing to 90.49% of premises, a 0.32‑point increase driven largely by Openreach’s aggressive FTTP rollout. Wales’ commercial and government‑backed full‑fibre projects are set to push the nation above the South East in gigabit...
Hawick Now Has Three Full Fibre Options as Nexfibre Rolls Out
Hawick now has three full‑fibre broadband options as Virgin Media O2 joins GoFibre and Openreach through the nexfibre XGS‑PON rollout. The nexfibre footprint is currently smaller than the existing FTTP networks but is expected to expand. Nearby Jedburgh already benefits from...
Reports of Hyperoptic Outages in Southeast London and Kent Yesterday
Hyperoptic experienced a multi‑hour outage on Monday, April 6, affecting customers in Southeast London and Kent, including Lewisham, Deptford, Greenwich, Woolwich, Dartford and Northfleet. The disruption lasted several hours on the Bank Holiday before services were restored later that evening. Users...
